Asked and Answered

RFP for Fiber Optic Network Construction

No. The contractor is responsible for implementing proper traffic control measures but may do that with their own employees or contracted services.

What do the red starts on the old town core network design print?

They are Maine Fiber Company splice cases.

Are Davis-Bacon wages required?

No.

Is oto fiber exempt from maine sales tax and maine service provider tax?

OTO Fiber has submitted an application to be exempt from Maine sales tax but it is still under review. Please make a note if you have included or excluded the sales tax from your quote. The Maine Service Provider Tax is technically a tax on the service provider, not the customer (although the service provider is allowed to pass it on to the customer) so OTO Fiber is not exempt from this tax.

Is a bid bond required? Are payment & Performance Bonds required?

Yes. Please see Section 5.4 under Northern Border Regional Commission for more details.

what is required for permitting?

Please see section 4 for permitting information.

Are pole replacements required?

The contractor will not be expected to do any pole replacements. See Exhibit E for make ready results.

where is the strand located and has the route been ridden out for clearance? what is the overlash connected to?

The fiber strand will be lowest on the pole in all areas where a new installation is required. The strand will be overlashed to University of Maine fiber in the Orono Core buildout. The route has been ridden out to confirm clearance below the phone cable.The fiber strand will be lowest on the pole in all of the network areas in Old Town and in the Forest-Noyes-Mahaney Neighborhood in Orono. The route has been ridden out to confirm clearance below the phone cable.

​The strand will be overlashed to University of Maine fiber in the Orono Core buildout. In the Orono the Pine Street Neighborhood a mixture of overlash and new strand is specified with the new strand being located in the same position on the poles between the phone and cableTV strand to avoid transitioning positions on the poles.

Will make ready be complete before construction?

OTO Fiber has completed the make ready surveys and submitted the request for make ready to be performed by Consolidated and Emera. It is expected that the make ready will be complete before construction begins.

is the construction all brand-new build?

Except for the Core route in Orono.

are there any anchoring or guying requirements? what if the make ready, bill of materials, & design prints don't match?

Yes, there are anchoring and guying requirements as detailed in the make ready and design. The design and bill of materials (BOM) were completed before the make ready survey results were complete. If there is a discrepancy, please follow the make ready survey results.

do you want pine & westwood bid separately or together?

Separately.

the bill of materials lists specific vendors for materials? Are substitutions acceptable?

The BOM lists materials specific to vendors to clearly specify the requirements for the materials. Substitutions of equivalent materials from alternative vendors is acceptable.

RFQ for Fiber Optic Network Design & Engineering Services

Is it mandatory to be in-person for the pre-bid meeting on October 6th, or is it possible to join via conference call?

OTO Fiber will facilitate video and/or phone conferencing for the pre-bid meeting on October 6th. Details on how to join the meeting will be posted on the website no later than October 4th.

Our company has the capabilities to perform the design and engineering services. The question I have is, if we do the design will that not allow us to perform the installation?

Our grant funding will not allow us to put out a single design-build RFQ and we will have a competitive process for both the design and build contracts. However, if the competitive process works out, we have no objection to awarding the contract for both phases to one contractor.

What is required for the response to the RFQ?

Section III of the RFQ details the requirements for a proposal. Respondents are also encouraged to review the evaluation criteria on page 17.

What should we consider in the design of the network with regard to costs, connectorization, etc. How should we balance construction costs vs operating costs?

OTO Fiber is a fully volunteer board and all design, engineering, and operation work will be contracted out to a third party. As such, OTO Fiber wishes the final design to minimize operating costs. ​

​Are you looking for design that can operate without bucket trucks?

​No. We will contract all fiber maintenance with a third party as part of an operational contract.

IS The scope of project is 3 miles/community plus approximately 1.5 route miles for expansion neighborhoods?

Is OTO Fiber looking to install just backbone fiber?

No. The initial project will serve as both a backbone and distribution network. The design must incorporate the ability to expand into neighborhoods along and beyond the defined Primary Neighborhoods as well as service all parcels, both residential and commercial, within the Primary Neighborhoods as defined in the RFQ in Section IV.

​Has anyone surveyed all existing pole lines to verify public rights of way?

​No. Part of pole survey work will be to identify such potential problems. The awardee does not have to file applications, but should do all the necessary preparation short of filing.

Will professional engineering management be retained for construction?

​This will be decided when the construction is to take place. We welcome suggestions from the designers.

​What are the deliverables from design phase? bid-ready prints & bill of materials?

​We expect that the awarded contractor provide bid-ready prints along with a bill of materials that uses generic descriptions that address the functional requirements rather than a particular vendor’s part numbers.

OTO Fiber does not have a preferred platform for drawings and design work.The terms CAD and GIS are used as generalizations and not as particular software packages.

​Where should costs be included that are not strictly hourly rates of a particular person? Such as, travel, printing etc.?

​Under "Other".

​Do overlash opportunities exist?

The University of Maine System has fiber assets along route 2 and Bennoch Road in Orono (marked in the KMZ file) to which overlash permission has been given. ​

​Does OTO own anything?

No, but currently there is fiber running down Kelley Road from route 2 to the Orono Public Works garage. This is a 96 strand fiber with slack loops at every other pole. It is expected that OTO Fiber will have rights to this fiber in the near future and can and should be included in the design.

​Will OTO fiber become a broadband utility?

At this point OTO Fiber is not a broadband utility. Such a designation will be explored if/when it becomes necessary. ​

​On the main routes, are subscriber field surveys necessary?

​Parcels serviced off main routes, both primary and secondary neighborhoods, are identified in Attachment A. Individual homes do not need to be contacted or surveyed.

​Is a home run to the Fiber Concentration Points (FCP) required?

Largely, yes. We wish to have multiple service providers able to serve customers. We don't know of an alternative other than separate fibers to each subscriber. As long as we can serve customers from separate providers we are receptive to a design that we may not have thought of.

​Such assumptions should be visually confirmed as part of a field survey.

​Will the Fiber Concentration Points (FCPs) be inside or outside?

​Allow time in design bid for either, pictures will be presented. Even if the FCPs are inside, it would be prudent to assume that climate control is at a minimum. We would prefer to use available indoor space, but not at significantly increased cost.

​Are you aware that Emera requires colored line drawings for pole applications?

​During the pre-bid meeting it was mentioned by one of the participants that Emera is now requiring colored line drawings with pole applications. While OTO Fiber has no first hand knowledge of this requirement, bidders are encouraged to confirm the current pole attachment applications requirements with both FairPoint and Emera.

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